Welcome to the February Tip Sheet! Things are looking up - we're a few weeks out from Reading Week, the days are getting longer, and we're finally seeing some snow (for the skiers and snowboarders out there). The big news this month? The EdTech Workshop 2023 is happening - in person - on May 17! There's a hint about this year's swag in the Save the Date - if you want to guess what it will be, send an email to fase.edtech@utoronto.ca for a chance at a special prize (to be awarded at the Workshop).
|
|
CONFERENCE TIP
1. Save the Date! Announcing the EdTech Workshop 2023
It's happening! And we're back in person! The EdTech Workshop 2023: CTRL+Shift is taking place on May 17, 2023 in the Myhal Building. The theme of the day is about the "shift" that we've all recently experienced; the change in direction, of tendency, from who we were to who we are now. We're still the same people, but maybe we're a little bit different, too. The Workshop will highlight if, how, and why our values have undergone some transformation and how this "shift" is manifested through educational technology. As is our tradition, the sessions will be informal with authentic talks and presentations by faculty speakers from across the three U of T campuses, each sharing their perspective and reflection on this theme.
If you are a member of U of T's teaching and learning community, or would like to learn more about education technology use, this one day workshop is for you! |
|
Are you ready to register? We know it's early (we're still working on the program and other event logistics) and we'll feature more about the event in upcoming newsletters. If you can't wait, you are welcome to register now! This event is offered at no charge to the U of T community (all are welcome!) and includes a continental breakfast and a light lunch.
To register, please login to your University of Toronto O365 account and submit the registration form: |
|
|
Interested in volunteering? If you're interested in volunteering during the day, please submit this Volunteer Sign up form with your contact information. Anyone can volunteer. We’d love to have you and you’ll get a free t-shirt! |
|
|
ASSESSMENT TIP
2. Consider Crowdmark for your course
We're happy to announce that FASE has renewed its Crowdmark license for the upcoming term! All FASE courses can choose to use Crowdmark as an assessment tool in their course. Crowdmark is an online platform that aims to make grading easier (especially for large classes) and supports paper-based (Administered Assessments) and digital submission (Assigned Assessments).
If you're wondering if Crowdmark is right for your course, you can schedule a consultation with the ETO to discuss (we'll try to identify the assessment tool that most closely aligns to your goals). You can also self-research using the Crowdmark support resources or reviewing how the ETO suggests that you set up Crowdmark in your course.
Plan early for printing and scanning
If you are using the Administered Assessment workflow (paper-based assessments), you will require access to printing and scanning equipment (see our guidelines for printing). If you are using Crowdmark in a first year course, you can request printing support from the First Year Office and scanning support from the Registrar's Office. If your course is in 2nd year or beyond, check with your specific department for printing and scanning equipment access and/or support.
|
|
UDL TIP
3. Watch Anna's presentation from UDLHE Digicon 2022: Implicit Design, Explicit Function
Sometimes colleagues do really cool things, like present at an international conference! On October 20, 2022, Michal Kasprzak, Samantha Chang, Gabriela Pawlus Kasprzak, and the ETO's Anna Limanni co-facilitated a session at the UDLHE (Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education) Digicon 2022 conference. The session highlighted strategies for UDL implementation at the University of Toronto, through the lens of four specific case studies.
|
|
|
If you're looking for text and other resources from this session, you can read the full blog post on the Implicit Design, Explicit Function session. It includes a brief summary of a novel UDL implementation approach and the 4 case studies used to illustrate this approach. The slide deck used for the session as well as a link to the session recording are included on the post. |
|
|
More exciting news! Inga will be presenting Empowering a Community of Practice through Podcasting at the upcoming Toronto PodCamp 2023 conference! It's Canada's largest and longest running two day digital media unconference. Congrats, Inga! |
|
|
PROCESS TIPS
4. Learn what we learned during a recent design project involving industry experts
At the ETO, we love a good project retrospective! It's perfect timing, as we’re just finishing content development for one course and are in the preparation phase for two additional courses. What makes this development project different for us is working with a large instructional team of industry professionals. We revisited what we typically do, what project assets we create, and how to communicate across a large design team. |
|
In this blog post, we're looking at three lessons we learned while building a Digital Learning Experience:
-
Lesson 01: Industry Professionals aren’t the same as faculty members
-
Lesson 02: Build content consistency across modules and subject matters experts (SMEs)
-
Lesson 03: Stick to your internal templates
And yes - there's a few instructor-facing process diagrams on this post; perhaps they'll be helpful to you, in your projects.
|
|
ChatGPT TIPS
5. Explore U of T's (recently) published ChatGPT Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) resource
The Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education, has posted a new digital learning resource on ChatGPT and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Classroom.
Especially helpful is the organization of resources by frequently asked questions (FAQs). Here are a few questions covered on the resource:
-
What are the ethical considerations regarding the use of generative AI systems?
-
Would the University classify use of generative AI systems as an academic offense?
-
Is there funding to support teaching and learning projects in Generative AI?
Looking for more? You can also review:
|
|
|
Upcoming Session! Register now for CTSI's Designing Assessments in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (February 28 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST). From machine-written essays to high profile plagiarism cases, artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT have been grabbing headlines in higher education. As institutions grapple with the implications of such tools for teaching and learning, this interactive session brings together instructors from a variety of disciplines to focus on written assignments and share teaching strategies that support student learning in the context of artificial intelligence. |
|
|
FUNDING TIP
6. Apply for a Learning & Education Advancement Fund (LEAF) Seed Grant
The LEAF program is currently accepting expression of interests for the winter LEAF Seed intake cycle, due on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Seed grants ($5,000 – $10,000 per year, for a max. of 3 years) are intended to encourage experimentation at the local level (within a course or set of courses), as a means to foster small-scale innovations or pilots with the potential for scalability.
Why are we mentioning this in the EdTech Tip Sheet? Previous successful applicants have had technology elements in their projects, for example: digital learning, learning systems, and other curriculum design projects. The ETO can help draft details around these elements; if you're applying, let us know how we can help.
Please note that in the winter cycle, only applications for Seed Grants are being accepted; Impact Grants applications are not open.
|
|
TECH TIP
Add chapters to your MyMedia videos
New MyMedia Feature - Video Chapters! Adding chapters to your online videos allows viewers to select a specific chapter and jump to that place in the video. You can create this type of navigation within videos hosted on the MyMedia platform by using Chapter Titles.
Watch this gif for an example of how viewers can jump from place to place in a video using chapters:
To add chapters to your MyMedia videos, login to MyMedia and upload a video file (if you haven't already). Then follow the instructions on How to add chapters to MyMedia videos. |
|
|
QUERCUS TIPS
Faculty Questions of the Week
Each week we answer a real question that we've received about Quercus and other Academic Toolbox tools, keeping the questions timely and relevant to you. You can select on the question to read the full inquiry and response or see all previous faculty questions of the week.
Read the Faculty Questions of the Week
|
|
 Can I use Student View to check that I've set up my self-sign-up groups correctly? (January 26, 2023) | When I go to Student View to try joining a group as the Test Student, the groups appear locked and I get a message that the Group is not available at this time. Did I do something wrong? |
|
 Can I disable announcement notifications from student groups in my course? (January 19, 2023) | With over 100 groups in the course, this creates a lot of notifications every day! I've checked the notification preferences but it seems to only allow disabling announcements entirely. |
|
 How can I share Opencast (OCCS) recordings with individual students? (January 12, 2023) | I enabled the Opencast (OCCS) instructor app for my course this term, but I've kept the recordings hidden from students. I want to release them to particular students who can't attend the lecture. |
|
 Can the EdTech Office update a student number in Quercus? (January 04, 2023) | I have a student whose student number was recently changed in ROSI and the new number was also updated in eMarks. However their old student number still appears in Quercus. |
|
ARTICLE TIPS
February's "just trust us" Clicks
Looking for something to read?
-
YouTube-iversity | Inside Higher Ed | Susan D'Agostino. Arizona State University will soon offer credit-bearing courses that begin on YouTube. Is the behemoth online video-sharing website the missing ingredient in engaging more learners on the margins?
-
Inclusive Teaching Begins with Authenticity | Faculty Focus | Jackson Christopher Bartlett. Here’s an inconvenient truth about inclusive teaching: there are no quick fixes. It’s inconvenient because faculty are stressed.
-
Do you ever cringe when you see yourself on camera? Hello Simple Video | Joe Mendiola. When you shoot a video and then watch it back, you are seeing what everyone else sees when we look at you. But from your perspective, you have only ever seen your mirror image, because it’s impossible to see yourself without a mirror.
|
|
SERVICE TIPS
How can the EdTech Office help?
Check out our service catalogue to get started:
-
Book a consultation - We're happy to meet with you to discuss any element of your course (related to technology, of course!). We can help with your Quercus course, planning your online assessments, setting up your home recording station and more!
-
Request a new Quercus course - We can create courses for both academic and administrative purposes (though for the latter you might also consider a Microsoft Team). If you're running a program, committee, group (especially one that has students), this might be a great hub for your work.
-
Request guest Quercus Accounts - These temporary accounts (up to 300 days) can be used to provide access to external guests or be used in testing (for more complex course configurations and features).
-
Participate in the Remote Editing Process - We've designed a remote editing process that begins with support as you to record your own content (from wherever) and ends with the Education Technology Office to provide editing services and posting to your Quercus course. This is ideal for trimming and cutting webinar recordings. Due to demand, we've decided to continue this service as a regular offering from the ETO.
|
|
|
Looking for 1:1 support? We're happy to schedule individual (or teaching team) consultation(s) to review your course and current stage of design. You can also email us to get started! |
|
|
Wondering about those photos in the banner?
Each month, in the Tip Sheet Banner, we feature photos from the ETO's outside-of-work adventures. |
 
Photo by Allison van Beek (left; Ski Lunch Stop) | Irina Belaya (Right; skating at Nathan Philips Square)
 
Photo by Inga Breede (left; Bahamas Palm Trees) | Anna Limanni (right; Mia relaxes)
|
|
|
|
|
